Apparatus for annealing.



4 Sheets-She I.

Patented Dec. 2a, I902.

(Application filed Oct. 28. 1901.)

No. mans.

D. BATES &. G. W. PEARD. APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING.

(lo nodal.)

Patented Dec. 23-, I902.

4 sheets-shut 2.

D. BATES &. G. W. PEARD.

APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING.

(.Qpplication filed Oct. 28. 1901.)

(No Model.)

N0. 7l6.6'l8. Patentdfled. 23, I902. D. BATES & G. W. PEARD.

APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING.

(Application filed Oct. 28,. 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets$heet 3.

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UNrrnn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

DARWIN BATES, OF HUYTON, AND GEORGE WORDSWORTH PEARD, OF PRESOOT, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,618, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed October 28,1901. Serial No. 80,286- (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DARWIN BATES, engineer, of Huyton, and GEORGE WORDS- WORTH PEARD, engineer, of Prescot, in the county of Lancaster, England, subjects of the King of England, have invented certain new and usefulApparatus for Annealing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to the annealing of wire, rods, strips, sheets, or other forms of copper and other metals, and has for its object and effect to provide improvements in connection with annealing processes by which the surfaces of such metal, when burnished or bright, shall not deteriorate or be affected detrimentally during the operation.

According to this invention the apparatus by which this object and effect is accomplished comprises an air-tight chamber, tube, or the like, the ends of which are elongated and are sealed or terminate in water, and air is excluded from this chamber or tube in some cases by filling it during the process of annealing with steam at boiler-pressure temperature or superheated steam, the pressure of steam inside the tube or chamber containing the metal to be annealed being slightly in excess of atmospheric pressure. The metal is conveyed through the chamber or tube on a mechanical conveyer in the form of an endless chain, belt, or the like of suitable material, the hard unannealed metal being placed on the conveyer at one end and then mechanically drawn first through one water seal,then through the heated portion of the chamber or tube, and then out through the other water seal, by which it is cooled. The metal comes out of the apparatus soft and bright.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be further de-' scribed with reference to them.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing the annealing apparatus according to the invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional elevation and plan, respectively, onalarger scale, showing the end portions of the apparatus.

The apparatus according to the invention and shown in the drawings is of a closed furnace or retort type, comprising chambers or retorts heated externally in a suitable furnace and in which the metal is annealed.

Referring to the drawings, the annealing chamber or retort is designated a, While I) is the furnace in which it is disposed and heated, and this furnace maybe of muffle or any other suitable kind and may contain within it one or a series of annealing chambers or retorts. The chamber or retort a has attached to it at each end a downwardly-inclined mouthpiece c, the lower end of which is open and dips into and is sealed by water contained in a tank or vessel d, and the wire or metal to be treated is passed into, through, and out of the chamber orretort c by an endless conveyer e,which passes over a drum f at each end of the apparatus, mounted and disposed within the water vessel. The tanks d are connected together by a pipe or conduit d, and through this conduit the lower part of the endless conveyer e passes from one tank d to the other.

The conveyer (shown more particularly in detail in Figs. 2 and 3) is of the sprocketchain type-that is, its links are of the wellknown sprocket-chain typethe joint-pins of which are formed by the ends of the crossbars e, which form the actual carrying-surface for holding the coils of wire or the like and extending between the chains 6.

One of the drums f of the endless conveyer is adapted to be driven, and one mode of driving is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and consists of a spur-wheel or rack h at one end of the drum f, driven by a toothed pinion i on the shaft o", this pinion being operated by a ratchet-Wheel i, also fixed on the shaft '6 and adapted to be driven bya pawl 7c on the arm 70, which receives a reciprocating motion from a suitable actuating apparatus; but any other suitable form of driving-gear may be employed.

Within the tanks (1 the conveyor 6 is guided by rollers Z, fastened onto the sides of the tanks and under which the edges of the conveyer run, and in connection with these rollers are guide-plates Z, supported on and projecting out from the sides of the tanks, for preventing the metal carried by the conveyer fouling these rollers.

The steam or other inert or non-oxidizing gas employed in the annealing retorts or chambers a for the purpose of excluding the atmosphere is suitably introduced by a pipe m in one of the months 0, and there will also be used in connection'with it a tap n,,say on the other end, for the outlet of the air removed or when blowing through. The pressure of the steam or gas should be slightly in excess of the atmospheric pressure. In

some cases, however, the steam" may be dis-- pensed with and the oxygen of the air may be absorbed by the passing of some suitable metal or material through the annealingchamber at the commencement of working.

In action, assuming the retort or chamber a to be of the required temperature'say redhot-and the air excluded, the bright-metal wire or bright metal in other form is placed on the conveyer e within one of the tanks cl under water, and by the motion of the conveyer it will be carried into one of the sealed mouths cand to the retort or chamber a and passed through it, and being moved at the required rate of speed it will become annealed and passes out down the other mouth 0 on the conveyer into the water which will exist within the sealed end of this month. Hence it does not reach the air before it is cooled and below oxidizing temperature, and then it is carried forward through the water and when clear of the mouthpiece is taken away or discharged over the end of the drumf.

The invention thus provides a continuous annealing apparatus of an automatic nature by which the oxidation of bright wire, strips,

or other forms of metal can be rapidly annealed without oxidation.

What is claimed in respect of the hereindescribed invention is- 1. An apparatus for annealing bright metals, comprising a closed annealingchamber having a mouthpiece at each end, a liquidcontaining vessel at one end forming a liquid seal for said end, external means for heating said chamber, and means operating through said liquid seal for withdrawing the articles from said chamber,substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for annealing bright metals, comprising an annealing-chamber having a depending mouthpiece at each end,'liquid vessels into which said mouths depend, and

means for withdrawing the metal from said chamber through one of said mouths and vessels, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for annealing bright metals, comprising an annealing-chamber having a depending mouthpiece at each end, liquid vessels into which said mouths depend and an endless conveyer passing through the chamber, mouths and liquid vessels, substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for annealing bright metals comprising a closed annealing-chamber a, a

heating-furnace b, a downwardly-inclined mouth 0 at each end of said chamber, a tank d at each end adapted to contain water, and into which the ends of the mouths 0 clip, and an endless conveyer e for the metal passing through the chamber, mouths and water; substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

DARWIN BATES. GEORGE WORDSWORTH PEARD. Witnesses:

J OHN I-I. WALKER, SOMERVILLE GoonALL. 

